


'No' Means 'No'

by Zorro_sci



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bruce Banner is the best boyfriend, Flashbacks, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Poor Tony Stark, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Trust, warning for rape
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-28
Updated: 2014-07-30
Packaged: 2018-02-10 17:36:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 8,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2033979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zorro_sci/pseuds/Zorro_sci
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'No' never meant anything to any of the other men Tony has been with.  Bruce seems different, but Tony needs to be sure.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Tony's first time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Anonymous poster of Avengerkink](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Anonymous+poster+of+Avengerkink), [kweandee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kweandee/gifts).



> **WARNING: RAPE**

The first time Tony Stark had sex with a man, he was in college. Well, man maybe wasn't the right word, he was more of a boy. Tony himself was sixteen when he had met him at a fraternity party. Though he was technically a man, at nineteen, he was still every bit an immature party boy, much like Tony himself.

The two of them had started the night with a drinking contest, and soon found themselves making out. Neither of them could remember _why_ they had started making out, but neither of them were eager to stop it either. Even Tony, who had only been with girls up to that point, found he was really enjoying it. 

"Do you want to take this back to my room?" his make-out partner slurred as he pulled back from an incredibly heated kiss.

Tony swallowed thickly. Their kisses had felt electric, sending a tingling sensation through his lips and down his spine, but he wasn't sure he wanted more than that. Sex with a guy was still out of his comfort zone.

"I don't think so," Tony had returned, his words almost as slurred as his companion's.

"I think you might feel differently once you get there," the other had returned.

Tony was pretty sure he wouldn't, but he was far too wasted to fight back as the other grabbed his wrist and towed him up the stairs to his bedroom. 

Inside the bedroom, the young stranger pushed Tony onto the bed, and reclaimed his lips. Their kisses became more and more heated, and soon the other young man was snaking his hand under Tony's shirt and exploring the bare skin of his back, chest and stomach. Tony suppressed a shudder, not welcoming the touch at all, but when he tried to pull back to object, the other moved a hand behind his head and pulled his mouth closer.

Soon, the other teenager was stripping Tony of his shirt altogether. Tony tried to use the moment where he pulled away to tug the shirt over his head to protest, but before he could a hand was clamped over his mouth and he was being shushed as the other hand fumbled with the fastening of his jean. His "no"s and "stop"s were muffled by the hand, and tears sprung to his eyes as his pants and boxers were dragged down to his ankles.

"Seriously? You're crying," the other boy mocked. "If you didn't want to do this, you should have stopped it before things got so heated. Don't you know, once you get the other guy hard there's no going back. Not unless you want to be a cock-tease."

"I want you to stop," Tony managed around the now loosened hand.

"Oh, so you _are_ a cock-tease," the other returned. "I guess I would have picked better if I would have known that you were a crybaby and a cock-tease."

In Tony's drunken mind, those were grave insults. He could not let himself be termed either of those things.

"I'm not a cock-tease," he said firmly.

"Really? Because from where I'm sitting it looks like you are," the teen mocked. "You got me all hard and horny, and now you're telling me 'no.'"

"I'm not telling you 'no,'" he returned, grabbing the other in a kiss.

Just like that, the other teen seized on the opportunity. He kissed back hungrily a few moments, and then he started working Tony open with a finger. 

At that point, Tony cringed and his brain shut down. He hardly noticed as the other added another finger, or when he pushed into him balls-deep. It was as if he were watching the whole thing from outside of his own body, only vaguely connected to what was happening.

It wasn't until the next day, when Tony awoke naked in a stranger's bed, his head pounding and his ass aching, that he fully realized what had happened. He felt incredibly used by the other boy; and though he knew it was technically rape, he was far too proud to say anything. Besides, the last thing his family would want is the bad press that would come with such an accusation. They would probably blame him because he had been drinking; no matter what his age, or his initial refusal of the other's proposition.


	2. Tony 's First Time with Bruce

The moment Tony had met Bruce Banner he was drawn to him like a magnet. He was adorable, and then he had spoken, and it was immediately clear that he was _brilliant_. Tony couldn't ever remember wanting anyone that much.

The two of them had gone off to work together in the lab, and they had just clicked. They worked with a fluency that made it seem like they had been lab partners for years. They hardly needed to speak to know what the other needed, and they showed each other a trust that was atypical of both of them, (and for good reason given their backgrounds).

When the Battle of New York had ended, Tony had begged Bruce to stay with him, and to his surprised, Bruce had complied. The physicist moved into Stark Tower, and soon they were deepening their already pretty impressive friendship, (considering the short length of time they had known each other). That friendship blossomed into romance, and the pair started dating. 

Originally, they took it slow. Bruce hadn't been in a relationship for a very long time, and Tony wanted to make sure Bruce was comfortable with whatever they did. He knew the scientist would run if he ever felt uncomfortable or threatened, and that was the last thing he wanted. They hadn't been together long, but he was already finding it hard to imagine life without Bruce.

When they finally did have sex for the first time, Tony was more than ready for it. He had had more than a few fantasies about the physicist, and he was eager to try the real thing.

It was every bit as amazing as he thought it would be, and then some. He was pleasantly surprised to find that Bruce was even _more_ attractive than he imagined. Lean, but lightly muscled, and gorgeously hairy. That, however, wasn't the biggest surprise.

The biggest surprise was how tender Bruce was. He touched Tony like he was something precious, and his every action was passionate, but gentle. He made sure Tony was ready and willing each step along the way; asking if Tony was okay with his next action what seemed like an almost comical amount of times to Tony. (Seriously, he must have asked at least five times: once before they even started making out, another time before he helped undress Tony, again before he used his fingers to prep him, once more before he slid into him, and yet again before he started to move once he was fully inside of him.)

Tony thought that Bruce's concern was ridiculously sweet, but he wondered about his incessant questions. He had asked Tony if he was okay with what they were doing long after the 'point of no return,' and that confused him.


	3. Tony Stark gives men a second try

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **WARNING: RAPE**

Tony decided that keeping quiet and pretending it had never happened was the best thing after his encounter with the drunken frat boy. Besides, if he only dated girls, then it would never happen again. So, at the age of sixteen, Tony Stark swore off men, but that only lasted so long.

A few years later he was in a club, a gorgeous woman on each arm, when he noticed a man at the bar staring at him. The way this guy stared, he had to look down to be sure he hadn't left the house naked again, (it happens! . . .at least when you're Tony Stark it does!). Basking in the attention, and never one to turn down the opportunity for an ego boost, Tony had left the ladies behind and made his way to the bar. 

"Like what you see?" he asked cockily as he sat down next to his admirer.

"It's very nice, but I'm only window shopping. A 'macho' man like you, the kind that keeps a girl on each arm, is probably far too insecure in his sexuality to ever do more than flirt with men," the stranger commented.

That sounded an awful lot like a challenge to Tony, and he rarely backed down from a challenge.

"I see; so if I told you I made out with a guy in college . . ." he tested.

"I'd call you a liar," the other man countered.

"Well, you'd be wrong. Because I did. The two of us even took it back to his bedroom," Tony continued, feeling an irresistible need to prove his point.

" _You_ slept with another man?" Guy-from-the-bar asked incredulously as he raised an eyebrow at him.

"I did," he confirmed, taking a large swig from his drink to try to keep himself from remembering _how_ exactly that had happened.

"But, see, that was college. You're probably past all of that now," the other man commented.

Tony looked over the stranger. He was actually really good looking, and he found himself wanting to make out with him both because he wanted to prove he wasn't afraid to, and because he was honestly curious what it would be like.

"It depends. With the right guy, anything is possible," Tony replied, purposely leaning in close and invading Guy-from-the-bar's space.

"Really now," he breathed as he closed the distance between them and claimed the billionaire's lips in a hungry kiss.

Guy-from-the-bar was a really good kisser. He sent tingles of sensation up and down Tony's spine, and things quickly became heated. They stumbled into the men's room, undressing each other once the door was closed, and exploring each other's bodies with hands, teeth and tongues.

Tony was moaning and panting in pleasure, and had almost completely forgotten why he had sworn off men. That is, until the stranger rolled on a condom and started prepping him for penetration with lube covered fingers. Suddenly, all the feelings from his first encounter came rushing back. His stomach dropped, and he felt incredibly used.

"Stop!" he said firmly.

The other man seemed not to hear him, and plunged into him anyway.

Tony gasped, and when he regained his breath he repeated, "Stop!"

Still, the stranger paid no attention to him and set a quick pace that saw him reaching climax no more than a few minutes later.

"It's a shame we didn't have longer, but sex in the men's room usually needs to be a pretty quick affair. We wouldn't want anyone complaining about how long the bathroom's been in use," the stranger commented as he pulled out.

"It could have been over a lot quicker. Didn't you hear me tell you to stop?" Tony said after he had processed what had happened well enough to speak.

"Of course I heard you, but there was no way I was going to stop. Do you really think I was going to let myself be blue-balled by some rich, entitled brat? Especially one who doesn't even have the courtesy to stop things _before_ the other guy gets painfully hard and naked? Once that happens, you've passed the point of no return, and you have no right to expect things to stop," the man said angrily.

Tony contemplated the man's words. They did seem to support what he had been told when he was in college, so maybe it was true. Maybe there was a 'point of no return'. 

It still didn't stop him from feeling used. So it was with no small amount of shame that he gathered his clothes, redressed, and exited the bathroom.


	4. Bruce's excuses

Sex with Bruce was easily the best sex that Tony had ever had, but even so, there were some nights he just wasn't in the mood. That in and of itself wasn't surprising. No one could be in the mood _all_ the time. What did surprise him was that he **_never_** had sex with Bruce when he felt that way. Not once. That was certainly something new for him.

He recalled how a couple days ago he had come home from a charity event for some endangered species or another. He hadn't really wanted to go, but Pepper had insisted that he needed to attend to garner some good press. The saving grace of the whole thing had been that Bruce had been able to attend as his date.

The pair had passed the night bored and trying to avoid a nosy reporter that just wouldn't leave them alone. Still, it had been nice to have Bruce's steady presence by his side. Plus, the usually frumpy doctor looked amazing in a suit.

It was his appreciation of Bruce's figure in his tailored suit that had led Tony to press Bruce up against the door once they got home and kiss him hungrily. He pulled him closer by his suit jacket as he continued to devour his mouth, and Bruce had moaned into the kiss.

When Tony pulled back, he saw the lust in Bruce's eyes as his boyfriend suggested, "Maybe we should take this to the bedroom?"

The billionaire was exhausted, so he hesitated a second, though no more than that, before he said, "Sure."

Something changed in Bruce's face in that split second, and he said, "You know what, if you don't mind, I'm really tired. Maybe we should just go to bed. Some other time?"

Tony was surprised at the sudden change, but was more than willing to comply. He just wanted to sleep, and hadn't really been looking forward to it anyway, though he did wonder for a moment if Bruce's about-face had occurred because he knew just how exhausted Tony was.

That wasn't the only time that had made Tony wonder if Bruce had mind-reading abilities. A few weeks before the charity event, he and Bruce had been watching a movie together on the couch. He had cuddled up against his boyfriend, and the closeness had eventually let to making out as the movie got increasingly boring.

The contact was nice, and Bruce was gentle as always, but Tony had been knocked around in the Iron Man suit a few days previous. He still had quite a few bruises and he was still pretty sore, so the thought of things escalating to full-on sex wasn't very appealing. Still, he had started it, so he would need to see it through.

Then, suddenly, Bruce pulled back from the kiss. Tony wasn't sure if he had flinched, or hesitated, or if Bruce could just plain read his thoughts, but out of nowhere the other man was suggesting that maybe they should just cuddle. That was what Tony wanted, but he was flabbergasted that the physicist had broken such a heated kiss with that suggestion.

Then there was the time that they were celebrating their anniversary. Bruce had put a lot of effort into marking the occasion. He brought Tony breakfast in bed, and he had even dressed up in a suit and went out with Tony to dinner and a show that evening, (and that was no small thing for Bruce, who much preferred to stay in at the Tower). 

The evening had been going so well, until Tony got a headache on the way home. The pain was intense, and just short of migraine territory, but it was their anniversary. Bruce had gone out of his way to make the day special for him; there was no way he could deny him celebratory sex. 

Just when he had resigned himself to powering through, he pulled back from a kiss and caught Bruce studying his face.

"I just remembered I have an early morning meeting tomorrow. I know it's our anniversary, but, can we wait to have anniversary sex until tomorrow?" he asked sheepishly.

"Of course, no problem," Tony answered, relieved that they were putting a rain check on that piece of the celebration.

It was only as he was drifting off to sleep in Bruce's arms that he realized there was no meeting. Bruce didn't really interact with people outside of the team or work, and he worked for Stark Industries R&D. As head of R&D, Tony knew there were no meetings scheduled for the following day. So the meeting must have been an excuse.

Looking back at all of the times it appeared that Bruce had stopped their amorous activities for him, Tony felt an odd mix of emotions. On the one hand, he was grateful that Bruce was such a considerate partner. He was far more attentive than Tony could have ever hoped for. On the other hand, he felt a deep sense of guilt. There were a least a dozen instances where Bruce had put aside his own pleasure for Tony. That made Tony wonder if he was failing in his obligation to please his partner. He knew Bruce would probably say it was no big deal, and point out that he had gone years without sex, so what was a night or two? But surely Bruce deserved someone who met his needs, and wasn't such a tease, especially after his long bout of celibacy.


	5. Josh

Tony's reputation as a lady's man grew as he hit his early twenties and became CEO of Stark Industries. He was more than happy to live up to the title, until he met Josh. Josh was different. He actually seemed interested in _Tony_ , not just a night of sex, not his money, but the actual man. They talked, and went on actual dates. They even waited a few dates before they took things into the bedroom, (and when they did Tony realized just how good things could be with a guy).

Tony was smitten, but being a new CEO wasn't easy. It took a lot of his time, and it made it hard to balance dating with his work schedule. Many nights, he would meet Josh for dinner, or drinks, or a movie, and find that his energy drained halfway through the date.

On one such night, he dropped Josh off at his apartment, eager to get back to his own home and finally get to sleep. He quickly kissed his boyfriend good-bye and found himself pulled into a passionate and needy kiss.

The kiss felt good, so Tony let himself sink into it. He lost himself in the moment, until he heard the door being unlocked and felt himself being pulled into Josh's apartment.

"I should go. Good night!" he said as he pulled away.

"Really?" Josh said incredulously. "You're really going to turn me on like that, and then leave while I'm hard and horny?"

"I . . . I . . . " Tony spluttered.

He thought Josh understood him. He had to know how tired Tony was. He had been complaining about how hard he was working and how little he had slept earlier that evening. 

"Whatever. Just leave. It's fine. I'll take care of it myself," the other man huffed in annoyance.

Tony paused. It didn't sound fine. Josh seemed really upset. His mind flashed back to what he had been told about "the point of no return" and "no going back" once his partner had an erection, and he wondered if they had been right. Maybe he was breaking some unwritten rule and being incredibly rude.

"Josh, I . . ." he started to explain.

"Forget it, Tony. Good night," Josh said curtly as he slammed the door in his face.

A couple nights later, a similar scene played out. The pair were locked in another good-night kiss that had become way more heated than Tony had intended, and he was trying to free himself so that he could leave. 

Josh seemed to notice his partner's eagerness to go, because he pulled back enough to mutter on Tony's lips, "You aren't going to leave me with my hand again tonight, are you? Tony, I need you."

His words made Tony feel guilty, so he followed him into his apartment and let him do what he wanted. It seemed to make Josh happy, but Tony didn't enjoy it, he really just went through the motions. 

Still, it seemed to confirm that it was expected that he follow through any time his activity with his partner led to noticeable arousal, so he never again tried to avoid having sex with his boyfriend when he was "in the mood." Even if that meant sometimes he just had to lay there and take it, anxiously waiting for it to be over.


	6. Anniversary Sex

Tony couldn't stop thinking about how Bruce had created a fictitious meeting to excuse Tony from sex the night before. It had allowed Tony to save face and avoid feeling guilty, and it was ridiculously sweet. The more he thought about it, the more he resolved that he was going to made their belated anniversary sex that evening worth the wait.

To that end, he left his workshop earlier than normal so he could be waiting for Bruce when he finished work. He ordered Indian food from Bruce's favorite restaurant, created a nest of blankets and pillows in front of the lit fireplace in the penthouse living room, and generously decorated the rest of the room with lit candles. With the room ready for Bruce's arrival, all that was left was to wait.

Bruce walked through the door, his eyes wide with surprise. Tony had certainly pulled out all the stops. The room glowed with flickering ambience, and the smell of cumin and turmeric made his mouth water.

"Welcome home," Tony purred as he claimed his boyfriend's lips in a quick peck.

"Tony, this is amazing," Bruce said as he was led to the table Tony had arranged with their dinner.

Tony grinned, and the pair started to eat while making small talk. Bruce really seemed to enjoy the surprise, and that pleased Tony to no end. It made him feel like he just might be adequately rewarding the other's patience.

After dinner, they made their way over to the blanket nest. At first Bruce seemed content to cuddle and watch the fire, but Tony quickly changed that when he straddled his lap and started kissing him hungrily. The action initially caught the physicist by surprise, but he quickly adjusted, wrapping his arms around Tony's shoulders and pulling him closer.

They pulled back from the kiss panting, only to return to their previous task as Tony unbutton Bruce's shirt and then pushed it off of his shoulders. He ran his hands over Bruce's now exposed chest, fingers running through the dark, thick hair, exploring every inch and pausing only long enough for Bruce to yank his t-shirt over his head. 

They continued to slowly undress each other by the flickering light of the fire until they were both completely nude and panting with anticipation. Tony crawled suggestively across the floor to grab the lubricant off of one of the end tables, making sure to exaggerate every motion that he made on his ten foot journey, (he could have left it closer, but that would have been a lot less fun). Then he returned and allowed Bruce to open him up slowly, driving him wild with his scissoring fingers and gentle brushes to his prostrate.

When the teasing got to be too much, he said, "Get inside me already, Banner. I believe I owe you hot anniversary sex, and it's going to be over before it even begins if you keep that up."

He had meant it as a joke, but when he said that he owed Bruce sex he inadvertently triggered memories that made his stomach drop and left him feeling very uncomfortable. Bruce, who had been about to comply with Tony's request, noticed a change in his face and froze.

"Tony, do you want me to stop?" he asked gently.

He shook his head vigorously, that thought even more terrifying than the nausea-producing remembrances flashing in front of his eyes. He had no right to ask Bruce to stop when things were this far along.

"Just give me a minute," he managed to choke out.

He felt incredibly guilty asking Bruce to wait, especially when he had been trying so hard to make the evening special, but he knew if he let Bruce continue his discomfort would show on his face. Given how observant Bruce had proven to be, there was no way he wouldn't notice. And given the physicist's self-depreciating outlook, he would blame himself. 

Tony shook his head with his eyes screwed shut, trying to banish the memories. They were not welcome, and he mentally told them so. Still, they persisted.

Tony could feel Bruce's eyes on him, his concern growing as Tony continued to lay there for nearly fifteen minutes. He tried using the breathing exercises Bruce had taught him for dealing with the panic attacks that he had had in the months after the Battle of New York, and that seemed to work, but it did little for Bruce's worry. He was about to ask Tony if he was okay when Tony opened his eyes and met Bruce's gaze with clear eyes.

"Okay. I'm ready," he stated.

"Are you sure?" Bruce asked cautiously.

Tony nodded and said, "Come on Bruce, I need that gorgeous dick of yours inside me."

Still unsure that Tony was really okay, he continued slowly, but soon they were both caught up in the moment again. He set a steady pace, stroking Tony in time with his thrusts, and soon they both came with each other's names on their lips.

"Well, it looks like you delivered on your promise of hot anniversary sex," Bruce whispered as he gathered Tony in his arms after they cleaned up.

Tony sunk into the embrace and beamed.


	7. Brad

Tony's relationship with Josh hadn't lasted long. A few months in he had decided he was tired of being second to Tony's job and ended it. After that Tony had gone back to casual sex. It was far easier than trying to maintain a relationship with the odd schedule that he kept.

Brad had been one of his conquests. He had intended for there to be nothing more between them than a one night stand, but somehow things developed into a long-term relationship. In what seemed like the blink of an eye they were celebrating their first anniversary.

Tony had commemorated the occasion with dinner at one of the fanciest restaurants in town, ridiculously expensive champagne, and a box of the highest quality imported chocolates money could buy. The celebration went late into the night, the champagne flowing and both of them getting more than a little tipsy.

Drunk, exhausted, and realizing he had a board meeting early the next morning, Tony had tried to end the evening after dinner by dropping Brad at his door and bidding him good night with a quick peck on the cheek.

"It's our anniversary," Brad said, leveling Tony with an angry stare.

"I know. That's what dinner, and the champagne, and the chocolates were about," Tony stated slightly defensively. 

He couldn't understand why Brad would be upset. He hadn't forgotten their anniversary. In fact, he felt that he had done a pretty good job of putting together a lavish celebration.

"You can't turn in early on our anniversary. It's rude. You _**owe**_ me anniversary sex. That's not the type of thing you can skip," he explained testily.

Tony fell silent. He had never celebrated an anniversary before, so he really didn't know whether or not that was an expectation. Still, he figured if it meant that much to Brad he wasn't really in a position to say no, so he followed him to the bedroom.

Tony 'celebrated' the first anniversary he had every marked with a partner with some of the worst sex of his life. Tony really had no desire to have sex in the first place, and Brad was angry and far from careful as he drove into him repeatedly with aggressive thrusts. When it was finally over, Tony lay there feeling used and sore, wondering how he was going to make it through the meeting in the morning sleep-deprived and unable to sit without being in pain.


	8. No

"I missed you," Bruce cooed as met Tony at the door and drew him into his arms for a quick kiss.

He helped him carry in his luggage, and then ushered him to the couch where they quickly entangled themselves. Tony had spent the last two weeks dealing with business interests overseas. Bruce had felt lost without him, and wanted to make up for lost time.

They made out lazily, but mainly they just held onto each other. Tony was grateful for the contact. He was jet-lagged and the long flight had left him with a nasty headache, and Bruce was warm and comfortable. Bruce's body felt familiar and welcomed pressed against Tony, and he wanted to just revel in the feeling.

"So . . . You up for some reunion sex?" Bruce purred.

"No," Tony said simply. 

He was far too warm and comfortable . . . But wait . . . .what did he just say?!?

"I mean . . . Just give me a minute . . . I need to get changed," he tried to backtrack.

"Tony, it's okay if you don't want to," Bruce reassured.

His voice was gentle, and his tone was sincere, but Tony couldn't help but feel like he didn't mean it. How could he? 

"But . . . I . . I . ." he tried, but finding he had no words, he ran from the room shame-faced.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Tony?" Bruce's voice called from the door of his workshop.

Tony ducked under the engine he was working on and hoped that he wasn't noticed. He wasn't ready to face Bruce. Not after he had been a tease. He had broken the rules, and he had done it after he had resolved to be a more attentive partner, and make sure he was meeting Bruce's needs. Some boyfriend he was.

"Tony? I'm pretty sure you're in there, and I'm worried. Please, just let me know you're okay," Bruce called into the large space.

His voice really did sound worried, so Tony stood from his hiding place, though he couldn't meet Bruce's eye.

"Tony, are you alright?" he asked in concern.

Tony nodded weakly, his eyes lifting long enough to see the soft expression on his boyfriend's face.

"Have you been crying?" he questioned, his concern growing.

Tony flinched. He had been hoping to hide that particular piece of information from Bruce. He didn't want him to think of him as weak.

"Tony," he said sorrowfully, opening his arms in an invitation for a hug. 

Tony thought it was odd that Bruce waited, and didn't just envelop him in his arms, but he moved over into his embrace anyway. It felt good to be held. He buried his head in Bruce's shoulder and let himself be comforted, even as he _knew_ this was his fault.

"Tony," Bruce whispered as he ran a hand gently through his hair. "What did I do? I didn't mean to hurt you. Let me know what I did, so I don't do it again."

Tony pulled his face back from Bruce's shoulder and studied his concerned face with confusion.

"What you did? You didn't do anything. I'm the one who did something wrong," Tony commented, his voice baffled.

"You didn't do anything wrong," Bruce answered in surprise.

"I said 'no.' I made out with you, and clearly made you want more, and then I said 'no,'" he explained mournfully.

"So? Tony you're allowed to say 'no.' If you're not into it, we don't have to have sex," his boyfriend said in a tone that wasn't quite patronizing, but clearly showed that he thought he was reciting a well-known truth.

"But it's rude. And disrespectful to your partner," Tony countered.

"What?" Bruce breathed in disbelief.

"When your activities with your partner lead to him having an erection, you need to see it through unless he stops it. It's rude not to, because it's hard for guys to stop once they're aroused," he clarified.

"What?!?" Bruce said again, disgust edging his voice.

Tony misunderstood the reason for his disgust, and figured it was directed at him, so he looked at the floor and started to apologize fervently.

"I'm sorry, Bruce. I know we were at 'the point of no return,' or at least close to it, and I stopped anyway. I promise I won't do it again. I'm just so sorry. Please forgive me. I wasn't trying to be a tease. I promise . . . "

"Tony," Bruce cut him off.

He raised his head, and instead of the anger and revulsion that he expected to see on his partner's face, he saw deep sadness. He could almost hear Bruce's heart breaking.

"Tony, there's no such thing as 'the point of no return.' Whoever told you otherwise was wrong. 'No' means 'no,' and 'stop' means 'stop.' Every time," he said sternly, but with compassion in his voice. "It is _not_ too difficult to stop, no matter how far things have gone, and failure to do so shows extreme disrespect to your partner. . . .It's rape."

Tony met Bruce's eyes with a shocked gaze, his own eyes widening in surprise. 

"You don't need to be ashamed of saying 'no' or 'stop.' That's your right. You can ask to stop at any point you're uncomfortable, or you don't want to continue," he said firmly. "And I promise that every, single time you ask me to, I'll stop. I don't care what we're doing. If you ask me to stop, I will. You need to know that.

I love you, Tony. I won't hurt you. What you want matters, and I really will listen."

Tony nodded as though he understood, though internally he was still far from certain that what Bruce said was true.


	9. Experiment #1

Tony couldn't get Bruce's words out of his head.

_If you ask me to stop, I will. . . . I promise . . . Every, single time._

He wanted to believe what he had said, but all of his past experiences pointed to it being untrue. The evidence he had up to that point contradicted Bruce's point, but then again he didn't have much in the way of Bruce-specific data. He decided the only way he could know if he could trust the words he couldn't get out of his head was to conduct an experiment and collect more data.

He didn't know that he would get his first data point later that evening. He and Bruce were snuggled together on the couch watching _Sherlock_ , when Bruce leaned over and claimed his lips in a soft, but passionate kiss. 

Tony was really not in the mood to do anything other than snuggle, so he pulled back from the kiss.

"I'd rather just snuggle," he said tremulously, (he knew what Bruce had said, but he was still far from sure this wouldn't offend him).

Bruce nodded and said, "Works for me."

He cuddled back up to Tony, but made no more attempts to make out with him. Not for the rest of the evening.

A couple days later he gathered his second data point. 

"Good morning," he said, leaning close to Bruce's face to wake him.

He usually wasn't much of a morning person, but he found himself awake and unable to get back to sleep at four-thirty in the morning. He knew Bruce usually awoke at five, so he turned off the alarm and decided he could be Bruce's wake up call.

"Morning," Bruce returned, closing the short distance between them and kissing him.

The kiss was chaste, but they continued it, and soon tongues were involved and it was anything but chaste.

"Mmmmm . . .stop," Tony said, as he broke the kiss.

Bruce moved back so he wasn't in Tony's space. Tony noticed that he didn't seem upset or in any way frustrated, he just moved back to his own side of the bed without a word.

"Ready for breakfast?" Bruce asked after a beat.

Tony nodded, and the pair made their way into the kitchen.

The final data point for his first experiment occurred about a week later.

The team had just finished fighting giant, mechanized hammers, (apparently the villain of the week either was a big fan of Mjolnir, or he had something he was compensating for). The hammer-robots were not very intelligent, but they did pack a mean swing. The Iron Man suit had been attacked repeatedly, and the resulting damage had dented the suit and left Tony bruised and in a lot of pain.

Still, the 'we survived' adrenalin rush overpowered his pain when he and Bruce returned to the penthouse. He captured Bruce's mouth in a hungry kiss, and almost aggressively explored the other man's mouth with his tongue. He let his hands roam over Bruce's conveniently already half-naked body, and his boyfriend followed suit. 

The problem was, as they continued to feel each other up, making their way into the bedroom as they groped each other, the adrenalin wore off and Tony realized just how much pain he was in. Their handsy make-out session was aggravating his bruises, and he had to keep himself from flinching.

Sucking in a sharp breath as Bruce unknowingly ran his hand over yet another bruise, Tony separated their lips enough to say, "I can't."

Bruce immediately stilled his hands, and he moved back a step, both to create distance and to study Tony's face.

"Are you okay?" he asked with concern.

Tony nodded, "It's just bruising . . . Bruising that hurts like a son-of-a-bitch . . .but nothing serious."

Bruce nodded.

The pair got ready for bed, and then climbed under the comforter freshly showered and wearing clean clothes. Tony noted that Bruce was careful to keep to his side of the bed; probably both to avoid unintentionally hurting Tony and to respect his request that they not be intimate. Still, Tony wasn't happy about the distance. He liked knowing Bruce was safe by his side after a battle, (even if the Hulk made it near impossible for him to get hurt).

"Hold me?" he asked, feeling sort of pathetic for his request; but Bruce didn't mock, he just reached over gently and gathered Tony into his arms.


	10. Experiment #2

After his first experiment, Tony determined that Bruce would always stop if he asked him to while they were making out. It didn't seem to matter if he started it, or if Bruce started it; if he asked Bruce to stop, he did.

Tony was still dubious that Bruce would or could stop if things got farther. So far Bruce or Tony had stopped things early on if they planned to abort having sex, but if things were a little more intense, it might not be so black and white.

Trial one happened after a ground-breaking discovery in the lab. The pair had worked for nearly fifty hours straight, convinced they were on the verge of a breakthrough. They hits several setbacks, but when everything finally fell together they were ecstatic.

They pulled each other into a celebratory kiss, and still high on the thrill of their discovery, that single kiss became a heated prelude to stumbling toward the lab couch while holding their bodies as close together as possible. On the journey to the couch they shed layers of clothing, and soon they were standing in front of it wearing only socks and boxers.

"Stop," Tony said, taking a step away from his lab partner.

Bruce complied without so much as a whine or whimper, but he did shift slightly uncomfortably a few moments later.

"I'll be right back," he said neutrally.

He disappeared into the lab bathroom and returned several minutes later with his boxers noticeably de-tented. Still, he didn't draw attention to what had just happened, or do anything to make Tony feel guilty. He just rejoined his boyfriend on the couch, and the pair took a much needed nap.

The second trial took place on "naked Thursday." Tony, on a whim, had declared that they should stay home and both spent the day completely naked one Thursday, and Bruce had surprisingly acquiesced to the request. (He did, however, refuse to cook or order in food given their state of undress, but eating sandwiches was a small price to pay to spend the whole day with naked Bruce as far as Tony was concerned.)

Not surprisingly, the day led to a lot of groping, fondling, and squeezing. They had barely made it to lunch before they were horizontal on the couch and Bruce was lubing up his fingers to prep Tony. Tony had honestly been hoping the day would lead to something like this, but at the moment he really wasn't in the mood he realized as he watched Bruce.

Bruce had one lubricated finger at Tony's entrance when the billionaire spoke up.

"Stop."

Bruce removed his hand, carefully unentwined his limbs from Tony's, and measuredly left the room. His actions weren't hurried, or aggressive, just calm and casual as if he were doing the most natural thing in the world.

The shower ran in the other room, and twenty minutes later Bruce was back at his side with wet hair, ready to start a naked movie-watching marathon.

Trial three happened on a regular Tuesday. Tony came home from a boring business meeting, and somehow "Bruce, I'm home!" had turned into the two of them naked with Tony pressed up against the kitchen counter.

The lube that Tony insisted on keeping in the silverware drawer, (not so silly now, Bruce!), had been utilized, and Bruce had carefully prepped him. Confident that his lover was ready, Bruce positioned the head of his cock and was about to push into the tight ring of muscle when . . . . 

"Bruce, stop."

Like all of the previous occurrences, Bruce didn't complain or whine. He didn't guilt Tony, or make a show out of leaving the room. He just walked away silently, and returned erection-less for dinner, not showing any signs of being angry or disappointed. Just acting like nothing had happened, and it really was just any other Tuesday.


	11. The Final Experiment

Experiment two had made Tony realize just how serious Bruce had been when he said that would always stop if Tony asked him to. Not only had he stopped, but he did his best not to make Tony feel guilty for his request, (he still did, every time, but that had nothing to do with Bruce). 

It seemed Bruce was completely sincere, but part of Tony still wasn't convinced. What if he asked him to stop _after_ penetration. Surely that was after 'the point of no return,' even if Bruce said no such thing existed. Slightly disgusted with himself for continuing to press the issue, but still feeling like he needed to know, Tony began his third and final experiment.

The very next day Tony conducted part one of his last experiment. He was bent over a lab table, stretched and open. Bruce had asked if he was ready, and when he responded affirmatively the physicist had slid in his member slowly, but not too slowly, until he reached the hilt. He gave Tony a moment to adjust to the fullness, and was about to start moving when Tony spoke up.

"Please stop."

Without so much as a question, Bruce carefully pulled out. His gaze met Tony's briefly, but there was no accusation in his eyes, just concern. He studied him for a moment, and once he was satisfied that Tony was completely unharmed, he went to take care of his own needs.

The second part was unintentional. Though Tony wanted to be sure that Bruce would stop if he asked, he didn't want to deny him sex entirely while he was conducting his experiments. So, after the first experiment, he had created a system. He would run a test and then wait until they had sex one or two times and saw it through to completion before he would run another one. 

So, the following day, when a good morning kiss turned into a rush to remove each other's clothes, he hadn't been planning to stop it. He was actually really enjoying the feel of Bruce's lips pressing against his skin as he peppered his torso with kisses while using clever fingers to stretch him. He was ready for the familiar fullness of Bruce's penis. He was not ready, however, for the onslaught of bad memories that came as Bruce started to move in and out of him.

He wasn't sure what triggered it, but his mind was suddenly transported back to one of the times he had been a less than willing participant. The memories filled him with a sense of dread and shame. He felt slightly nauseated, and his breath hitched in his chest.

"Bruce, stop," he said. 

Bruce froze as soon as he heard the words. Then his eyes met Tony's, searching his face to make sure he was okay, and asking _Do you want me to pull out?_ wordlessly.

Tony shook his head at the unspoken question.

"I just need a minute," he explained.

Bruce nodded, but didn't move any other part of himself. He waited as Tony closed his eyes and did deep breathing exercises. He remained silent and still, even as first five, then ten minutes went by.

Finally, his concern got the better of him, and he asked, "Tony, are you alright?"

Tony took a few more deep breathes, but they didn't seem to be doing anything to stop the memories or relieve the horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"I can't," he said shaking his head. "I can't do this. I'm sorry, Bruce."

"It's alright, Tony," Bruce said gently, as he carefully pulled out his still very hard penis.

He silently went into the bathroom and relieved himself quickly of his erection. Tony seemed really upset, and he didn't want to leave him alone for long. When he returned to the bedroom, Tony was still visibly upset, so he got dressed to make his intentions very clear, and then returned to the bed.

"Tony, can I hold you?" he asked.

He wanted to comfort him, and knew Tony was very tactile and liked being held. However, since it appeared that he had been set off by physical contact, that may not be the case this time. 

Tony nodded, and moved closer to Bruce, who reached out and wrapped him in his arms. He let his body sink into Bruce's, settling his head on his chest, and allowing himself to be comforted by the secure embrace. Cradled against Bruce he felt protected and safe, and surer than ever that he would never feel used by the man who held him with such careful tenderness.

The last part of his final experiment, and the ultimate test of Bruce's claims, happened a few short days later. The pair were a sweaty tangle of limbs above their sheets, and Bruce was thrusting in and out of Tony with a steady rhythm. Moans of pleasure were being ripped from both of them as Bruce quickened his pace. 

Tony could tell that Bruce was nearing climax when his breathing picked up to short, quick, pants and his muscles started to tightened, so he said, "Stop, Bruce."

Despite the tight-coiled feeling of near-climax that Bruce was experiencing, he stilled immediately. He waited a moment to make sure they were both ready, looked at Tony to confirm that he wanted him to pull out, and then did so carefully.

Even though he must have been achingly hard, Bruce didn't make a single noise of protest.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," he informed levelly; and if his calm, sweet voice was hiding resentment or anger then the man deserved an Oscar, because Tony couldn't detect an ounce of either. 

In fact, the degree of kindness that Bruce was showing, the care and love in his eyes as he wordlessly confirmed Tony's request, were overwhelming. So much so, that Tony found himself overcome with emotion.

"Tony?" Bruce asked worriedly as he re-entered the room and found his boyfriend crying. "Are you alright?"

The billionaire nodded, unable to find his voice.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" he pressed, still unnerved by Tony's tears.

He shook his head, still unable to speak. 

"What's wrong then?" he questioned gently.

"You stopped," Tony managed to say around his tears.

"You asked me to," Bruce replied in confusion.

"I know. And you did. You couldn't have been far from orgasm. Maybe two or three more thrusts. But you didn't do that. You stopped," he clarified now that he felt calm enough to speak again.

"Of course I did. I told you I would. No matter what," Bruce said.

"I believe you," Tony agreed.

"But I didn't at first," Tony admitted sadly after a beat. "It's not that I didn't trust you, it's just that I've never been with a man who actually listened when I said no, so when you said I could stop things it seemed wrong."

Tony noticed the way that Bruce inhaled sharply when he mentioned his previous partners not listening to the word 'no,' but other than that it appeared that the other man wasn't going to comment, so he continued.

"I decided I needed to be sure, so I thought if I experimented with saying 'no' at different points during sex I would find out where the line really was. I'm sorry if that crosses some line, I needed to know," he explained. 

"It's okay, Tony. I understand," Bruce soothed.

"Really? Because I don't. I made you unknowingly participate in an experiment, one that led to lots of sexual frustration might I add, just to make you prove what you already told me," Tony said with a good measure of shame in his voice.

"Sometimes you need to see something to believe it. We're scientists, we observe," Bruce commented.

Tony nodded, "I believe it now. . . I still don't think I'll ever get over feeling bad for saying 'no,' but I know that if I ever do say it, you'll listen."

"It's a start," his boyfriend acknowledged, "but I'm going to keep trying to help you understand that there's no reason to feel bad or ashamed for saying 'no.' I'm willing to keeping trying as long as it takes."

"You're an amazing man. I love you," Tony said in awe, wondering what he had done to deserve the great guy in front of him.

"I love you too," Bruce returned sincerely.

Tony's final findings for his experiment were that Bruce was trustworthy. He would stop, every time, no matter what. He would listen to what he said because he respected him, and most of all, because he loved him. They were some of his best findings ever.

**Author's Note:**

> I just want to be clear, given the content of this fic, that 'no' really means 'no.' Always. Every time. No exceptions. There is no such thing as a 'point of no return,' yes guy can help it, (and girls too), and there is absolutely no such thing as 'asking for it [to be raped].' And no matter the relationship between two people, if one party is unwilling, it is rape. Despite Tony's skewed views in this fic, none of this changes.
> 
> Sorry, I just felt I needed to say that. I will get off my soapbox now.


End file.
